Omaha Golf Sixth, Fifth in Preseason Summit Poll
Feb 5, 2014 | Men's Golf, Women's Golf
ELMHURST, Ill. – The Omaha men's and women's golf teams were picked sixth and fifth respectively in the annual pre-season poll of the Summit League's coaches.
The Maverick men received 19 points in the voting to finish ahead of Western Illinois (16) and Fort Wayne (10). Last season, the Mavs finished eighth out of the nine Summit League teams.
Mitch Ryan led the Mavericks in scoring during the fall season with a stroke average of 76.1 and two top-10 finishes. Karl Krieser was second at 76.3.
Summit League newcomer Denver was picked to win the Summit League, receiving seven first-place votes and 49 points total. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams. IUPUI came in second with one first-place vote and 39 points followed by South Dakota (32).
The UNO women earned fifth place in the preseason poll with 24 points, coming in ahead of South Dakota (17), Fort Wayne (12) and IUPUI (12). The Mavericks were fourth at last season's Summit League Championship, finishing just five strokes out of a top-three finish.
Katie Kesti was UNO's top scorer in the fall with a stroke average of 79.5 and two top-10 finishes, just ahead of Sophie Peters who had an average of 79.7 and three top-10 finishes.
As on the men's side, the Denver women were picked to win the Summit League with seven first-place votes and 49 points. North Dakota State received the other first-place vote and had 43 points while South Dakota State was third with 36 points.
The 2014 Summit League Golf Championships will be held from April 21-23, at the Sky Creek Ranch Golf Club in Keller, Texas. The champions will earn the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Championships.
The Maverick men open the spring season at the Carlton Oaks Invitational hosted by Western Illinois in San Diego, Calif. on Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 10-11. The women begin their season on Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 24-25 at the Grand Canyon Invitational in Phoenix, Ariz.
